Office Supply & Paper Wholesalers

Office Supply & Paper Wholesalers

Brief Excerpt from Industry Overview Chapter:

Companies in this industry distribute paper products and other office supplies. Major companies include Staples subsidiary Essendant, SP Richards (a subsidiary of Genuine Parts), and the distribution arms of retailers Office Depot and Staples (all based in the US), as well as Pelikan (Germany), Lyreco and Manutan International (France), and Spicers (UK and Australia).

COMPETITIVE LANDSCAPE

Demand is closely tied to the level of business activity. However, workplace digitization is depressing demand for traditional office products. To compensate, SP Richards, Office Depot and other office products distributors are expanding beyond their traditional offerings, adding janitorial and breakroom supplies, among other products, and providing value-added services for customers. For example, Office Depot entered the managed IT services market in 2017 with its $1 billion acquisition of CompuCom.

PRODUCTS, OPERATIONS & TECHNOLOGY

Major products include general office paper, office supplies, labels, and greeting cards, which together account for about 80% of industry revenue. Toner and toner cartridges account for more than 15%. Office supply distributors may also offer furniture, cleaning supplies, breakroom supplies, and technology such as phones, shredders, and computer accessories. Distributors of computers are not included in the industry.